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There is no King,
Ayatollah, tribal chief, Imam (priest) or Islamic scholar who can claim
to be Islam’s spiritual or divine leader as each Muslim must pray
directly to God. The Koran forms the basis of Islam. It rejects violence
and requires peaceful co-existence with non-believers, especially
Jews and Christians. In any mosque, Imams are only authorized to lead
prayers and cannot change or interpret the principles of Islam as stated
in the Koran. Equally, any King, Ayatollah, Imam or Sheikh cannot
misinterpret the Koran to justify violence, terrorism or hatred against
non-Muslims. Islam has no equivalent of ‘the Vatican’ that can act as a
universal ‘voice of Islam’ representing 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide.
This is why condemnation of terrorism or expression of sympathy for the
victims of terrorism emanates without co-ordination from various Islamic
sources e.g. scholars, senior Imams and political leaders of major
Islamic nations.
Prophet Mohamed did
not issue a call for ‘Jihad’ (religious war) or ‘Fatwa’ (a call for
execution of a named person) during his lifetime. Therefore, subsequent
to Prophet Mohamed’s death, all calls to incite, promote, finance or
support violence against anyone are unsupported by the Koran, Islam and
most Muslims. Whilst there are a few extremist Imams who, without any
authority, peddle the politics of hate, the media and some western
politicians remain biased, erroneous and unjustified in accepting such
activity to be Islamic as it is rejected by millions of Muslims who seek
peaceful co-existence.
Why do some journalists
and politicians portray Islam as a fundamentalist religion promoting
violence just because some terrorists claim to profess Islam? Will these
journalists and politicians describe IRA bombers as “Catholic Christian”
terrorists, Ben Gurion as a “Jewish” terrorist in 1948 Palestine, “Sikh”
terrorist who assassinated Mrs. Indira Gandhi, or “Hindu” terrorists who
killed Muslims in Gujarat, India? Terrorist action is conceived,
initiated and inflicted irrespective of religious principles. Revenge,
malice, greed, money and power drive terrorists to commit their brutal
acts. Terrorists use the banner of religion to attract and secure
sympathy, finance and credibility. Media linkage of terrorist activity
to religion acts against the public interest. Factual analysis of the
causes of terrorism must replace inflammatory references to “Islamic”
terrorists and “Islamic fundamentalists”.
Islam has been adopted by
a rainbow of ethnic/racial groups, each having its own tradition and
culture. Muslims speak a multitude of languages and live in many
sovereign countries, each significantly different in its political
system, especially with respect to the role of women in society and
human rights. Whilst Muslims worldwide share a common faith, they lead
vastly different lifestyles depending on where they live. For example,
Saudi Arabia uses Sharia law and limits the rights of its women citizens
whilst Egyptian women enjoy equal rights and a liberal lifestyle. Women
have been elected as national political leaders in Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Indonesia. Therefore, it is not Islam but the political
systems in some Muslim countries, sustained by the USA, that impact
adversely on human rights, education, employment, political freedom and
private enterprise of citizens. Some western media and politicians
erroneously pin blame on Islam rather than their political allies who
rule autocratically.
Muslims make a
significant socio-economic contribution in Europe through their
enterprise, skill and services. Whilst they come from different ethnic
origin, each Muslim must make every effort to comprehend and respect the
language, history, religion, culture and traditions of his/her host
country. They must accept that recognition and respect of European
values does not diminish or undermine their own distinct religion,
culture, language and traditions. Muslim leaders in Europe must interact
with the media in an articulate manner to convey and establish a public
perception that Muslims, like other immigrants, wish to be loyal
in enhancing the social, economic and political well being of their
adopted European country. Equally, the EU Member States must guarantee
that all immigrants, like indigenous citizens, have the freedom to
retain their faith and family values as clearly outlined in the EU
Treaties. Together, we can live in peace and prosperity. |
